All posts by Eugene Santos

For many brides-to-be, finding the perfect wedding dress can be daunting. So it’s nothing short of jovial, with a matching sigh of relief, when they finally find “The Gown.”

In the case of Aliya Chandia-Lakhani, she felt triumphant when she found multiple wedding outfits while on tour in New York City

It was quite a fashion fairy tale for the Dubai-based corporate executive. She just got engaged and when she came to the city, she found herself in a shopping tour organized by Karen Parker O’Brien, the president of Style Room NYC Shopping Tour Experiences.

“At that time, I really had no intention of buying a wedding gown,” said Chandia-Lakhani. “But during the shopping tour, Karen introduced me to this wonderful dress designer who had the most beautiful evening and wedding gowns. We just bought clothes on the spot!”

And in fashion, that’s one sweet story that retail therapies are made of, as Parker O’Brien can attest to.

As a New Yorker and having been in an industry insider for more than 20 years, Parker O’Brien knows how vital fashion is to NYC’s business system.

Shopping and tourism, as O’Brien put it, help drive the city’s economy. Her idea of organizing shopping tours seemed like a feasible business idea.

“Shopping tours have been around since I was a child,” said O’Brien. “So when I entertained the idea of professionally doing one myself four years ago, I decided to make it more customized, where I would take people to all these private designer showrooms and where it’s more intimate and fun to shop. When I talked to some people about it, they wanted to do it and after a week, I organized my very first tour and it just took off from there.”

Fashion’s ephemeral nature makes it a tricky industry, especially for designers who have to tread the thin line between personal creativity and what customers and retailers actually need and want. But a constant theme in this business is how lucrative it is.

Globally, fashion is worth US$1.2 trillion , and NYC is considered as one of its major capitals, along with London, Milan, and Paris.

From a business perspective, the city’s fashion subculture alone is responsible for employing more than 180,000 people, or 6 percent of the city’s overall workforce, with tax revenues accounting to US$2 billion. Latest statistics reveal that there are around 900 international fashion companies are based here, and NYC is also the home to more than 75 trade shows and thousands of showrooms, both from established and emerging fashion designers.

“New York City is like the center of the world,” said O’Brien. “And when people come here to visit, they shop.”

Now, imagine what tourists—excluding locals and expats—can do to every cash register placed throughout NYC.

Last year, the office of incumbent mayor Bill de Blasio announced that NYC reached an “all-time record” of accommodating 56.4 million visitors in 2014, translating into an overall economic impact of US$61.3 billion.

“I think people are drawn to New York City because it’s an exciting place,” said Jim Dykes, a friend of O’Brien’s and the president of his own tour company, Abuzz Around New York. “Today, tourists are more knowledgeable on what they want to see—and experience—in this city.”

The thriving tourism industry has a more parallel relationship now with fashion and style. Shopping tours like Style Room are pivotal in nurturing this symbiotic partnership.

“Visitors in New York City still like to eat and shop,” said Dykes. “They say that there are a lot of unique spots in this city that are not available elsewhere. Thanks to the internet, for example, more people have become more aware that New York City is a big fashion capital—but knowing who to call for the right places to visit is another thing, and that’s what Karen does for her clients.”

So how does it work? For O’Brien, it’s all about a sense of mystery, if only to pique a visitor’s otherwise info-overloaded mindset.

For starters, O’Brien doesn’t advertise the designers and brands that she works with. Instead, she gets to know her prospective clients beforehand first, like what they usually wear and how they build their wardrobe based on their size and lifestyle. She then tailors a tour plan for them, which involves deciding which designers can cater to them best. Her clients only discover who they’re going to visit—and shop from—on the tour day itself.

This system, as O’Brien explained, also protects the designers’ privacy, mostly because they also have separate arrangements with other mainstream retailers that can’t be publicly disclosed—and so far, tourists have been okay with the setup.

“I’ve had clients who ask me if we’ll go to somewhere like Chanel or Prada,” she said. “My answer is no, because I take them to American designers who are based here in New York City and I think they like it because they get access to unique, good quality merchandise and have bragging rights like, ‘Hey, I got this from a New York City designer!’”

“It’s been really fun bringing visitors and letting them interact with the designers I work with,” she said. “Of course, they’re talking about fashion but the next thing you know, they’ll be asking them for recommendations on where to dine out as well or what other activities to do in the city, too. It makes the whole experience more personal and they [tourists] get to fall in love with the city more.”

Julie Lamb arranges a supply order with one of stone sources in NYC’s diamond district. Photo by Eugene Y. Santos

It was a rainy Monday morning in New York City, and Julie Lamb was on a roll, hopping from one appointment to another in midtown Manhattan’s diamond district, meeting jewelry setters and stone suppliers for her eponymous accessories line. For her, bad weather can stop her business.

Not at that time, or any day in the near future. Not now when finally, she is building a name for herself in New York City, and hopefully, the rest of the world, too.

For many designers, New York City is seen as a boot camp for a career in fashion. While it’s competitive and expensive, designers like Lamb opted to professionally stay in the city for two main benefits: connections (fashion retailers and press) and accessibility (the suppliers and labor that can be utilized and outsourced in the garment and diamond districts).

“I like the fact that everything’s within reach in the city,” said Lamb. “It’s nice that I can just walk into someone’s shop and personally keep track on how my products are made.”

It’s been two years since Lamb ventured into entrepreneurship. A decade ago, her younger self would have balked at the idea of being a businesswoman, considering math isn’t her best suit. She was a creative, and she appreciated the corporate stability offered by employers like Nine West jewelry and Avon.

“After many years of working though, it came to a point where I just didn’t want to report to a boss,” she said. “I talked to my brother about it and he said that the only way I can work for myself was if I started my own accessories line.”

In 2014, Lamb launched her own jewelry brand, consisting of a lineup of accessories made with gold, silver, and diamonds, with a cutesy sheep pendant or engraving as a signature.

For Lamb’s friend Kia Felty, the designer’s strength lies in her fun approach to fine jewelry.

“There is a desire for fun, fine jewelry that can be worn everyday and are well-crafted enough to be passed on to the next generation,” said Felty. “Julie’s brand is headed into that positive direction.”

The brand has been warmly received by both jewelry insiders and press, although for Lamb, it’s just one facet of what makes a success story in New York City.

In an ephemeral industry like fashion, Lamb learned that designers should keep an open mind—and a keen foresight—in the city that never sleeps.

“I don’t have a business degree so I can say that experience is the best teacher,” said Lamb, who is now active in the Women’s Jewelry Association (WJA), an organization that helps jewelry designers develop their business savvy through networking events, learning workshops, among others. “There’s so much going on in this industry that I just talk to and learn from everyone.”

It also helps to be alert in social media. In Lamb’s case, you never know who is going to come around to even expand your horizons outside New York City.

To be exact, Lamb has been virtually acquainted with jeweler Andrea Riso, one of the retail brains behind Talisman Collection, a gallery concept store based in El Dorado Hills, CA.

After a year of liking and casually leaving comments on each other’s posts on social media, Lamb sent Riso a formal message about what her jewelry line is about. Riso then reverted back, saying that she’s interested to work out a deal with Lamb.

“She also sent me a list of people I can talk to,” said Lamb. “It feels very nice, as right now, I’m in the process of contacting different retailers to get my jewelry out into various selling points outside New York City. It’s a matter of slowly getting my name out there more.”

Jeweler Julie Lamb is an advocate of New York-based manufacturing. Photo by Eugene Santos.

New Yorker Julie Lamb is a savvy businesswoman. Two years ago, she decided that it would be nice to manufacture her eponymous jewelry line in New York City.

“It makes for a nice story,” she said. “I like the idea of having something ‘Made in New York’ by a New Yorker.”

It sounds alluring, but for Lamb, the “Made in New York” label is not just a marketing ploy.

“I’m also very hands-on with my business and I can be a control freak,” said Lamb. “In New York City, I like how I can easily check where I get my materials from. I also don’t like the idea of traveling far when it comes to overseeing the manufacturing process of my merchandise.”

Lamb doesn’t mass produce her goods and designers like her, who work on limited edition merchandise, opt to manufacture in New York City, mostly for quality control and easy accessibility.

Handbag designer Jill Haber launches her latest line, ‘The Enchanted Forest,’ at a cocktail launch in 63 Gansevoort in New York City. Photo by Eugene Santos

“All of my bags are handmade and are order-based so I don’t have to mass produce,” said handbag designer Jill Haber on why she manufactures in New York City. “I have total control in every step of the bag making process. I can easily go to the workroom when I need to. Plus, I also want to have a workplace that’s close to my home and family.”

For big fashion businesses, manufacturing abroad can be cheaper, especially if done by the thousands. Last year, the United States Fashion Industry Association released a study stating that US fashion companies will still continue to source from countries like China and Bangladesh, as “larger companies seem to have a more diversified sourcing base than smaller companies.”

But for businesswomen like Lamb and Haber, who manufacture goods mostly on a two-digit basis per design or style, it’s still less costly to produce and source in New York City.

Designer Rachel Gregory of Gregory Apparel said there are also other expenses to consider when outsourcing abroad, like air travel, shipping, and customs.

Designer Rachel Gregory wants to keep her business in New York City for practical reasons. Photo by Eugene Santos

“When you’re manufacturing by the thousands, it may be cheaper to manufacture outside the US,” said Gregory. “But if you’re like me, who just makes about 20 to 30 pieces per design, it’s more affordable to produce in New York City.”

Another advantage of being based in New York City is that it’s easier to translate and materialize design ideas into actual merchandise.

“My factory is just a few steps away from my design office in midtown so sewers and garment makers can just call me and I can easily drop by to check and solve any problems if ever,” said Gregory. “The problem with being far from your manufacturers is that things can get lost in translation. For example, if you’re corresponding to factory workers from across the globe online, there’s a chance that they won’t even tell you in time if something’s going wrong already.”

The designers admit though that business can still be expensive in New York City. Resources and labor can be two to four times pricier than other countries, said Lamb.

Although since New York City’s fashion scene is competitive, building contacts can be challenging itself, which doesn’t guarantee immediate success in the industry.

“The CFDA is by-invitation only,” said Gregory. “Meanwhile, the Made in New York initiative requires designers to have insurance and an existing retail partner and I don’t have those yet.”

Gregory, Lamb, and Haber are not yet part of the CFDA and Made in New York.

The three remain optimistic in the city though, to varying degrees.

Haber’s handbags are sold by different stores in territories like the UAE and the United Kingdom. Just recently, she launched her latest accessories collection during the recently held New York Fashion Week.

A selection of Jill Haber’s purses that are made in New York. Photo by Eugene Santos

Meanwhile, Gregory is now rethinking her business strategies, since she still doesn’t have a retail partner yet.

“My strength for now is in catering to individual customers than retailers,” said Gregory. “I should also get myself out there more and focus better on social media.”

For her business, Lamb sells her jewelry online and is now just collaborating with select retailers like Reinhold Jewelers in Puerto Rico.

Julie Lamb’s jewelry merchandise are made with precious metals and stones like gold and diamonds. Photo by Eugene Santos

“I’m definitely open to partnering with big department stores someday,” said Lamb. “But for now, small and independent stores give me more business leeway than they.”

High-end makeup brands such as Becca are available at Vivrant Beauty. Photo by Eugene Y. Santos.

As Manhattan real estate development further goes uptown, it seems that Harlem is gearing up to be a more upscale beauty hub, with chicer salons, boutiques, and spas increasingly setting up shop in the area.

At a glance, this looks like a picturesque business opportunity for any beauty and grooming service provider. But in Harlem, where affordable mom-and-pop stores are abundant, some locals and entrepreneurs aren’t enthusiastic about the neighborhood becoming the next downtown Manhattan.

“Harlem is going through a ‘neo-colonialization’ phase,” said Fisher Nesbitt, a barber for Fresh Looks Barbershop along Frederick Douglass Blvd., where haircuts still go for as low as $10. “There’s a big gentrification going on, like rent is becoming higher. A 7-Eleven just opened on 145th st. and I think it’s a bad thing. Harlem is all about mom-and-pop shops and they are the backbone of people’s survival here. Harlem is all about the small guys.”

Service providers such as beauty parlors have long been part of Harlem’s culture. In the early 1900s, a lot of black Harlemites operated home-based salons, which required little capital. These businesses not only provided income, but also became community-centric spots where clients and hairstylists can gossip and even sell other sundries, such as show tickets.

It’s somehow different today. While mom-and-pop salons and businesses still operate in Harlem, the area has also welcomed more upscale beauty enterprises to cater to a younger, more diverse clientele.

Harlem native Desiree Verdejo is one of them. Growing up in the area, she said that beauty retail was just limited to local beauty supply stores and drugstores. Harlemites who wanted to buy premium beauty products had to shop in other neighborhoods.

This observation is the primary reason why Verdejo decided to open Vivrant Beauty , a boutique along Saint Nicholas Avenue that carries higher-end makeup and skincare brands like Becca and Mario Badescu.

“Harlem people are really committed to shopping in their own neighborhood,” said Verdejo. Since opening in July 2015, Verdejo has seen customers of different races and demographics, from working professionals to students from Columbia University. “Harlemites like to support Harlem businesses.”

Vivrant Beauty is part of Harlem’s contemporary beauty movement. In the past few years, more upscale beauty shops have been opening in the neighborhood, operating on the logic that Harlem’s residents don’t need to travel far now for premium services.

For Abraham Tejada, what’s happening now is that Harlem is getting a taste of tony downtown Manhattan.

“The situation adds more value to this area,” said Tejada, an assistant manager for Fumic Jewelry Nails, a nail salon along 116th street that offers artisanal Japanese-style gel manicures and pedicures. “The real estate boom has affected the retail sector, that there is more demand now for service-oriented establishments.”

Crediting commercial and residential developments uptown, real estate in Harlem has become pricier than before.

“Eleven years ago, retail rents on Frederick Douglass Boulevard averaged $60 per square foot,” said Faith Hope Consolo, chairman of Douglas Elliman Real Estate’s retail group. Rents now have increased to $100 per square foot, and that’s even on the low end.

“Harlem has a very different demographic today than a few years ago though the development happened on a slow and steady basis,” said Consolo. “The profile of Harlem’s residents spiked in wealth since 2008, and in the past three years, new developments are coming in at a record pace.”

But for savvy entrepreneurs, retail rent is still more affordable in Harlem compared to downtown and midtown Manhattan. Aesthetician Alita Terry knew that she couldn’t pass an opportunity to expand her business in Harlem.

Terry, the founder of Ethereal Aromatherapy and Skin Care, which operates twice a week at Land Yoga along Frederick Douglass Boulevard since July, said that business has been good so far uptown.

“My customers here in Harlem are usually moms or grandmas. It’s a very family-oriented place,” said Terry, whose customized facials range from $55 to $95. “I feel like my clients here uptown are very open and curious. They want to know what bespoke skincare is about, where I analyze a person’s skin and make something for him/her out of my assessment. It’s something new for a lot of them. It’s the kind of creativity and service they would expect downtown, and now it’s available uptown.”

But not all people are happy about Harlem’s further burgeoning beauty business scene.

“It’s hard. It has become more competitive,” said Sarah Ahn of Jireh Nails Plus+ along 116th street. “Eight years ago, there were only a few of us beauty salons here but now there’s a lot. I also feel that rent will go up in the future. I don’t think I’ll lower my prices for my services though. I’ll try to keep them affordable if I can.” Ahn’s waxing services range from $10 to $45.

If Nesbitt were to have his way, he would increase the prices of his haircutting services, if only to make ends meet in Harlem now. “Downtown, haircuts go $30 to $40 each while here, we just charge $20,” he said.

“Some people in Harlem are paying $2,500 to $3,000 for an apartment which 10 years ago was just 700,” said Nesbitt. “It has become unaffordable for a lot of us. I think prices here are going to go up. I think what the local city government wants for the city is for it to become affluent all throughout. They [government] don’t want poor people.”

Nesbitt thinks that it’s only going to get worse. “Once prices go up, they’re never going to go down,” he said. “I’m paying 1,250 for a one-bedroom apartment which in South Carolina, can get you a really big house for 6,000 square foot.”

Verdejo seemed optimistic on beauty retailing in Harlem. “Harlemites like to support Harlem-based businesses,” she said. “So far, it’s good that people have come in and we’ve had repeat customers.”

But to say that Harlem has become “better” isn’t exactly apt. “I wouldn’t use that word (better),” said Verdejo. “Some people can take advantage of a nice sushi restaurant or an organic facial but for some people on the other hand, the situation now has made it harder for them because rent has become higher. I wouldn’t say that it’s ‘better’ but it’s definitely a changing phase. I’m just trying to contribute something positive but being a Harlem native, I’ve had conversations on the other side about things that may not be helpful for some.”

For Terry, one has to be smart about a sensitive topic like gentrification. “You can take advantage of this change but you also have to understand that Desiree and I are in our 30s so the change doesn’t affect us the same way as it will for someone in his/her 60s who’s lived his/her whole life here in Harlem,” she said. “I know someone who owns a bakery in Harlem who just made his first insane amount of profit recently after being in business for 16 years. If you’re smart, you can work it out. I’m not saying it’s going to be easy because it’s tricky but if you can take advantage of it, you should.”

From the looks of it, real estate development is just going to continue. Consolo said that developers are now eyeing East Harlem, with the area near 125th st Metro North seen as a huge prospect. Real estate mogul Joseph Sitt of Thor Equities recently bought two large retail properties along Lexington Avenue for $75.5 million, and the city government has zoned a commercial area on a 7,000 square foot empty lot at 126th street and Third Avenue.

“Regarding residential development, there are several coming in line, including a 12-storey, 44-unit mixed-use building at 94 East 111th street at Park Avenue,” added Consolo. “There’s also affordable housing at 413 East at 120th street.”

Nesbitt felt despondent about what’s happening in Harlem, with all the high-end projects in the pipeline and with a lot of Harlem natives being pushed out of their own neighborhood. “I just hope they [developers and city government] keep the culture intact and the prices reasonable,” he said.

Sala Cyril believes that finishing the New York City Marathon is an achievement itself, despite being one of the last placers in the event. Photo by Eugene Y. Santos

A few months ago, school director Sala Cyril, 38, took an opportunity of a lifetime. She would train and run this year’s New York City Marathon for the benefit of her institution, the Little Maroons Childcare Cooperative in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. It was the school’s 10th anniversary, and around $5,000 was crowdsources and would be given to Cyril when she finished the marathon.

With barely any marathon experience under her belt, she trained for only four months.

“I even had a concussion in the last two weeks,” she said. “I wasn’t able to train fully.”

More than the physical training, Cyril of Bedford-Syuyvesant said that she had to train her mind as well to strengthen her endurance.

Today, at around 11:00 am, Cyril found herself in the starting line. She put her game face on. She told herself she would finish the race no matter what.

Eight hours later she crossed the finish line.

“I just really pushed myself to do my best,” she said. “My family went out to support me. My colleagues went as well, so I wanted to show my loved ones that I could finish the race. This is definitely the most intense experience I’ve had in my life so far.”

The marathon, as Cyril put it, was challenging.

“I was slow and I took many bathroom breaks,” she said. “The water and energy stations even malfunctioned so it was hard. It even became discouraging after a while because there were less people cheering me on, so it was a matter of mental strength, too.”

But at the end of the race she was all smiles. She was greeted immediately by her loved ones. She took her hard-earned medal, and grabbed a marathon cape and goodies along the way. The race was officially over.

“I feel really successful and also tired,” she said, as she made her way out of Central Park. “I can’t join the NYC marathon next year as I wasn’t able to participate in the qualifying race for it. I do look forward to running in its 2017 edition, even if I’m not going to raise funds for my school. Next time, I just want to run the whole thing and just enjoy it better. There’s definitely room for improvement in my performance.”

For now, Cyril is happy to fulfill her commitment to Little Maroons. The school, which was established in 2005, aims to “reinforce” African education (ideologies, culture, and history) to black children, as a means of reminding them of their roots and nurturing their love for learning. The money that Cyril was able to raise will go to various educational endeavors, such as school supplies.

Cyril said the marathon gave her a fresher perspective on motherhood, as she felt like an inspiration to her daughters to keep pursuing their dreams no matter what gets in the way. She advised would-be marathoners to “not be afraid of being slow in the race because all you need to succeed are discipline and practice. The goal is to finish the race no matter what.”

Richkids hats at the Capsule trade show at New York City’s Pier 94. Photo by Eugene Santos

Fashion, in its essence, is a juggling act between art and commerce. At the recently concluded Capsule women’s RTW and accessories trade show at New York City’s Pier 94, which ended yesterday, aspiring creatives had their chance to expand their business horizons.

Italian-based designer and businessman Marco Cuoghi was one of them. As the founder of accessories label Richkids, Cuoghi said that participating in Capsule helped boost his prospects in the U.S., where he wants to gain more traction.

“At this event, I met a buyer for Patricia Field,” said Cuoghi, referring to the famous stylist and retailer. “I also got to talk with different retailers who gave me advice on what works in the U.S. market. So far, department stores like Saks Fifth Avenue and Macy’s have placed product orders.”

Capsule is the brainchild of BPMW, a fashion consultancy firm. Launched in 2007, the trade show has aimed to put together, under one roof, a well-curated lineup of up-and-coming designers and emerging brands that have good retail potential in various territories worldwide.

Cuoghi said that it’s important to have brand presence in the U.S., especially in a fashion capital like New York City. After all, fashion is a lucrative business in the city that never sleeps.

New York City generates more than $15 billion in annual sales—and this makes New York City the largest retail market in the US, according to the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC). Fashion also attracts more than half a million visitors yearly to New York City, and the industry employs around 180,000 people in the city, the NYCEDC added.

At Capsule, there were around 700 exhibitors from all over the world, which allowed interaction between entrepreneurs and retailers and press.

But some exhibitors said that business moved slow at Capsule, which mostly only allowed wholesale and bulk orders between sellers and buyers.

Park Sun Zoo designs deconstructed clothes for Re;code, a South Korean brand that hopes to expand in the US. Photo by Eugene Y. Santos

“It was slow compared to what I expected,” said Park Sun Zoo, a designer for South Korean label Re;code, during the second day of the trade show. “We haven’t had much orders. I was expecting more crowds.”

For New York based label Gregory Apparel, founder and designer Rachel Gregory said that a trade show like Capsule allows proactive interaction among aspiring fashion designers.

“It was fun to make that connection with others and to compare notes with them,” said Gregory, a first time participant. “In a way this trade show has helped me. It’s the first step to creating relationships with different people in fashion. It’s about establishing trust and letting them know how committed I am to the growth of my brand.”

For independent names such as Rapp Black, a brand that specializes in watches and womenswear, trade shows allow exhibitors to showcase their wares to a wider, more varied audience.

“It’s good exposure for our brand,” said Tyler Dossett, the wholesale representative for Rapp Black. “It’s always helpful to have different platforms to get your voice out.”

Other upstarts also see trade shows set in New York City as a good way to penetrate the US market.

“This city is the heart of the fashion and beauty industry in terms of what’s trending,” said Nicole Dash Jones from the UK. Jones was in Capsule to introduce Madame La La, a line of self-tanning products, to US based retailers. “Some buyers have expressed interest in carrying my goods. I’ll probably launch my brand next year here in New York City, around spring or summer.”

It also helps that New Yorkers are always on the lookout for something —or even someone— new, a sentiment that Tokyo-based designer Eemon Lin felt.

“Some boutiques based in the city have approached me,” said Lin. “They were looking for unique styles. New York City has so many different things and people want something new every time, anywhere.”